Folding table.



No. 665,325. Patented Jan." I, l90l. W. C. GREGORY'&. WfR. MONTGOMERY.

FOLDING TABLE. (Application flied Apr. 23, 1900.)

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a p zzm'z- NlTED STATES LATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. GREGORY AND WALTER R. MONTGOMERY, OF SI-IREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

FOLDING TABLE.

sE'EGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent l\lo. 665,325, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed April 23, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM C. GREGORY and WALTER R. MONTGOMERY, citizens of the United States, residing at Shreveport, in the parish of Oaddo and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Folding Table, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a folding table; and the object in view is to provide a device of this character with simple and effective means for holding the legs inwardly in folded condition against the under side of the tabletop and to cause them to automatically move outwardly when released by means of a simple and effective mechanism which is of a strong and durable nature and not liable to become impaired by continuous use and to avoid the employment of the usual frail attachments and impositive mechanisms and also to have the legs held in astable manner when extended or arranged for supporting purposes and avoid loose movement of the table as an entirety.

The construction of the improved attachment is such that it may be employed with any type of table, whether square, round, oblong,oranyothercontour,andtoaccommodate various applications it will he obviously apparent that changes in the form, proportions, and minor details will be resorted to fully within the purview of the invention.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of a table, showing the legs folded in against the table-top and embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved table, showing the legs in supporting position and one of the same infolded in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with a portion of the legs broken away.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a table-top, which is shown in rectangular form; but, as before set forth, the contour of the table-top is not essential, and it is intended that the improved Serial No. 14 068. (No model.

attachments be applied to a table of any contour or type. The top 1 is provided with stationary end rails 2 and hinged side rails 3,

the latter having on the inner faces, near their lower edges and adjacent the end rails 2, elongated tenons 4, with outer reduced extremities 5, as clearly shown by Fig. 2. The head-rails 6, connecting the heads 7 of the legs 8, are hinged, as at 9, to fold inwardly against the under side of the table-top and be snugly confined between the side rails 3, it being understood that the said legs when in supporting position will be limited in their outward movement, so as to hold the tabletop squarely or in a desired position. The outer edge of each head 7, near its lower extremity, is formed with a groove 10 to receive the reduced portion of the tenon 4 nearest thereto. At the inner opposite extremities of each side rail 3 suitable blocks, strips, or other devices 11 are secured and provided with an inwardly-projecting eye, loop, or similar connector 12, and to the central portion of each head-rail 6, below the center, a connecting-guide 13 is fixed. Through the guides 13 elongated retractile springs 14 are passed and have their terminals attached to the blocks, strips, or other devices 11, and when the legs are folded inwardly against the under side of the table-top they will pull the springs inwardly at the center, as shown in Fig. l, and as soon as said legs are released the tension of the springs or tendency to return to normal position will automatically draw the legs outwardly.

To arrange the legs from a supporting to an infolded position, the side rails 3 are pulled outwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to release the reduced portions 5 of the elongated tenons 4 from the grooves 10 in the heads 7 the rails being held in their outward position until the legs are fully folded and then released. The rails will be automatically drawn inward by the tension of the springs 14 exerted thereon by the terminal connection of said springs with the blocks,

strips, or other devices 11, and theinner parts top, and the parts will appear as shown in Fig. 1, with the springs distended. By drawing the side rails 3 outwardly to clear the tenons from the head 7the pull of the springs 14 on the head-connecting rail 6 will cause the legs to assume the position shown by Fig. 2, and by again releasing the side rails the reduced portions 5 of the tenons 4 will be caused to automatically engage the grooves 10, and thus lock the legs in supporting position until the rails are again drawn outwardly. It will be seen that the springs 14 perform two functionsnamely, to draw the legs outwardly by the center engagement thereof with the head-connecting rails 6 and to draw the side rails 3 inwardly, so that they will always return to a normal locking position in either the folded or extended arrangement of the legs. It will also be observed that the full force of tension of the springs 14 is somewhat relaxed on the rails 6 when the legs are folded inwardly, because the said legs and rails in such position are then approximatelyin the same plane of the springs, and the full force of the latter is not exerted on the legs until the heads 7in theiroutward movement have passed the inner holding extremities of the tenons 4:. When the legs are thrown outwardly by the action of the springs 14, the outersides of the heads 7 contact with the blocks, strips, or other devices 11 at the moment the legs reach a true vertical position, and strain on the fastenings of the hinges 9 is thus prevented, and any tendency to loosening of said hinges is avoided.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be observed that a strong and durable means for operating folding table-legs is provided and wherein the parts will remain constant in their several functions without liability of breaking or becoming loose, and in view of the slight relaxation of the springs when the legs are folded inwardly the strain on said springs will be materially relieved and their desirable operation rendered more durable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A folding table comprising a top with hinged side rails, hinged legs, and opposite springs int-ermediately engaging portions of the legs and having their terminals connected to the side rails.

2. Afolding table comprising a top having hinged side rails, pairs of legs hinged to op posite portions of the under side of the table'- top between the side rails, and yielding devices engagingthe intermediate portions of the hinged legs and the side rails.

3. A folding table comprising a table-top having outwardly-movable side rails provided with engaging projections near the opposite extremities thereof, opposite pairs of hinged legs having side grooves, and springs intermediately engaging the legs and having their terminals attached to the side rails.

4. In a folding table, the combination with a table-top and hinged legs, of movable side rails, and a single spring engaging the intermediate portion of each pair of legs and terminally connected to the side rails.

5. In a folding table, the combination with a table-top having outwardly-movable side rails, of hinged legs arranged in pairs at opposite extremities of the table and within the confines of the rails, and springs individually engaging intermediate portions of the legs and terminally attached to the rails.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. GREGORY. WALTER R. MONTGOMERY. Witnesses:

J AS. M. MARTIN, F. O. OLEARY. 

